Why links should not live forever
Most links are created for a moment. You send a file, the other person downloads it within the hour, and the job is done. But the link keeps working. It sits in an email thread, a chat history and a browser autocomplete, ready to be opened by anyone who finds it a year later.
An expiring link closes that gap. You decide how long the door stays open when you create the link, and after that time passes the link simply stops. Search engines, forwarded messages, old backups of someone’s inbox and curious third parties all meet a closed door instead of your file.
It is also a matter of tidiness. When links expire by themselves you do not need to remember which ones are still live, and you do not leave a trail of forgotten public addresses behind you.
Pick a lifetime that fits the job
When you upload, the option “Delete the download link after” lets you choose how long the public link stays up. The choices are deliberately simple:
10 minutes
For a hand-off while you are on the phone, or a file you want gone almost immediately. Passwords, codes and one-off secrets belong here.
1 hour
For a quick transfer to a colleague who is online now. Enough time to download, short enough to forget about.
24 hours
The everyday choice. The recipient has a full day across time zones to open the link, and it is gone by tomorrow.
7 days
For large deliveries, review copies and files for people who are not in a hurry. A week of access, then the link closes.
The lifetime you choose is a limit on the link, and it is always shorter than or equal to what your plan allows for file retention. It applies to the public download address — your file is still in your account if you are signed in.
Expiring link vs. file retention — what is the difference?
These two ideas are easy to mix up, so it helps to separate them. File retention is how long upload.am keeps a file stored: on the Free plan files are kept for 30 days from the last download, and paid plans keep them longer or until the subscription ends. A link lifetime is how long one particular public link works.
You can have a file that is kept for months but shared through a link that lives for an hour. And you can create a new link for the same file whenever you need it, with a different lifetime. The link is a door; the retention is the room behind it.
This also means an expired link does not mean a lost file. If you are signed in, open your cabinet, find the file in the online file manager and create a new link in a few clicks.
Use cases for expiring file links
- Sharing credentials, keys and configuration files that should not stay online.
- Sending a draft or a proof to a client for review within a fixed window.
- Time-limited promotions: a download that is only available during an event or a campaign.
- Temporary access for contractors, auditors and freelancers.
- Handing over photos or videos after a shoot, with a clear deadline. For heavier projects use a Drop Room, which is a secure room that deletes everything when its deadline arrives.
- Large files sent to people who tend to forward everything. The deadline travels with the link.
Get more control: expiry, password and download limit together
A lifetime answers “until when”. Used alone it is a good default. Used together with the other link controls it becomes a proper security setup, still on the Free plan:
- Expiry + download limit: the link ends when the file has been downloaded the allowed number of times or when time runs out — whichever happens first.
- Expiry + password: even during the short window the link is alive, only the person who knows the password can open it.
- Expiry + one link for several files: send an entire set as one package that disappears together.
If you want a link that stays alive for a long time, you can also leave the expiry off and manage the link yourself: you can revoke any link at any time from your cabinet.
How to create a self-destructing link
-
1
Upload the file
Drop your file into the upload box on this page or pick it from your device.
-
2
Turn on “Delete the download link after”
Switch the option on and choose 10 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days.
-
3
Add protection if you need it
Optionally set a password or a download limit in the same list.
-
4
Share the link
Copy the link or send it by email. When the time is up it stops working by itself.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a link be active?
You can choose 10 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days when uploading. If you create links from your cabinet, you can also use a custom number of hours or leave the link without an expiry.
What happens when the link expires?
Anyone who opens it sees a notice that the link is no longer active. The file itself is not shown or served.
Does an expired link delete my file?
No. The link stops working. The file stays in your account according to your plan retention, and you can create a new link for it.
Is this free?
Yes. Expiring links are available on the Free plan and for uploads without an account.
Can I get a reminder before a link expires?
If you are signed in, upload.am can email you shortly before a link is due to expire, so you can extend it if people still need access.
Can I end a link early?
Yes. Revoke any link from your cabinet at any time. Revoking a link never deletes the file.
What is the difference between a link that expires and a Drop Room?
A link controls one download address. A Drop Room is a whole shared space with a deadline: when it ends, the room and every file inside it are deleted.